


The Tiger Is Loose

by Skyepilot



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Awkward Flirting, Coulson in the field, F/M, Skye hitting on Coulson, Speculation, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-15
Updated: 2015-04-15
Packaged: 2018-03-23 00:25:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3748579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/pseuds/Skyepilot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Speculative AOS feels drabble with Skoulson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Tiger Is Loose

They had made it to the secret base. The _other_ secret base.

According to Mike there were others. Plural.

 _Coulson_. Always full of surprises.

She was helping Mike to put away some of the gear from the stolen quinjet, when Coulson walked into the room, swinging a bag off his shoulder to the table and zipping it open.

Mike looked up with interest as Coulson began taking out various weapons and setting them down on the table.

"HYDRA stuff," Coulson said, glancing up at him. "We'll need to do an inventory."

"Hunter's got that covered," Mike replied, looking slyly over at Skye before heading to the door. "He lost a bet."

Coulson half-smiled and continued on as Skye watched Mike leave, her putting away the last few weapons.

Glancing over at Coulson unpacking the rest of the bag, she watched him turning objects over curiously in his hands.

He seemed so...different. The guy in the suit, the company man, wasn't here at the moment. All unshaven scruff and his field suit showing the signs of wear from his last mission.

"Guess Hunter tried to plan ahead," he said, briefly meeting her eyes with a sigh.

"That's Hunter for you," she answered, standing on the other side of the table, fidgeting her fingers, not sure what to say or do at the moment.

They'd met each other unexpectedly at the HYDRA base. She was leading a team to free Gordon, and Coulson was leading a team to find Gordon.

"What?" he asked, finally, cutting through the tension hovering between them.

"You seem different," she answered quietly.

"I could say the same about you," he replied, smiling in a slight but friendly way.

"Guess that's true." She shrugged her shoulders and took a few steps forward, putting her hands on the table, looking down at all the stuff. "Do you think any of this is dangerous?"

He set his jaw askew and looked up at her, raising his eyebrows, a hint of amusement in his expression. "Probably all of it."

Biting her lower lip, she leaned forward. "They're not the only thing here that looks dangerous."

Coulson became very still and like he was thinking, working through things in his head.

Skye sighed and then let go of the forward momentum, standing up straight. "When's the debrief?"

She could get back to business.

"Later," he said, standing up, his chin in the air. She saw the shrug of his hips, remembered that posture all too well.

She looked right at him. "What happened?" she asked. "While I was gone?"

His hands picked up one of the objects on the table as he wrestled with it, then set it back down.

"I lost SHIELD," he answered, after a moment. He met her eyes.

Skye nodded at him, feeling the weight of the admission in his voice.

"You don't look very much like SHIELD right now."

He frowned back at her, but not in confusion. It was only because she knew him too well.

"We can get it back," she started in. "I've got control over my powers, sort of. And you're...obviously...field-ready," she said, gesturing towards him with her hand.

"I was always field-ready," he retorted.

Skye opened her mouth to say that she knew that, but then Hunter filled in the gap, appearing in the doorway, pushing in a cart with several bags on it.

"Tiger's been loose for awhile, now. Isn't that right, sir?" he said, looking annoyed as he put another bag down on the table with a thunk.

" _Careful_ ," Coulson warned him.

"Yes, yes," Hunter said, rolling his eyes. "I'm already on inventory, thankyouverymuch."

"Tiger's been loose, huh?" Skye asked, amused, leaning forward again on her arms.

Hunter raised his eyebrows and stared over at Coulson.

"We were undercover," Coulson began explaining. "We had to secure a vehicle, and..."

"He likes to play Bond," Hunter said flatly, hefting another bag.

Coulson look offended, his mouth hanging open.

"At used car dealerships," he added, glancing up at Skye. "Pretty desperate straights, darling, looking for you this whole time."

Coulson closed his mouth.

Skye looked down at her fingers and drummed them on the top of the table.

"Anywho," Hunter said, unloading the last of the bags. "Don't mind me."

Glancing between them he was enjoying them awkwardly avoiding eye contact. This reminded him of that time in her crazy dad's lair, when they'd both pretended about their hugging scene.

"You two can probably handle the inventory, right?"

They both stirred at the same time, awkward, but not replying.

"Good."

Hunter left the room with a smile on his face.

Felt nice to be in charge for once.


End file.
